Germany- The 'Terror State' Flashcards
Who controlled the SS
Himmler
Who were the SD
intelligence gathering offshoot of the SS
Who was Minister-President of the Gestapo
Goering
When was the Gestapo extended to cover all of Germany
1933
How did Himmler become head of police
- Night of the Long Knives reduced SA powers
- Exploited rivalry between Goering and Frick
What happened to the police in 1936
SS, SD and Gestapo placed under command of Himmler
What was set up in 1939 and what did it achieve
Reich Security Department Headquarters which placed all party/ state police under one organisation supervised by SS
How did membership of the SS differ in 1933 to 1929
1929- 250
1933- 52,000
When was the SS formed
1925
What were key values of the SS
loyalty/ honour
When were extermination camps established in occupied countries
1942
How many temporary camps were set up in early months
70
By 1934, how many prisoners were there in concentration camps compared to the year before
1/4
When did all concentration camps come under SS control
1934
when/what was the SD set up as
1931- set up to investigate claims the party had been infiltrated by its political enemies
how many members did the SD have by 1939
50,000
how many officers did the Gestapo have in 1939
20,000
what % of work depended on info supplied by informers
50-80%
How did the Gestapo extract information from informants when they were reluctant to give up information
torture
how was the justice system ‘coordinated’
i) Front of German Law in April 1933 made clear to judges/lawyers their careers depend on doing regime’s biding
ii) courts set up with no juries and defendants had no rights to appeal sentences
By the start of war how many officials coordinated info in Gestapo
3000
How did the Nazis use terror and surveillance
- civil rights lost
- courts increasingly made to deliver judgements to uphold regime
- ‘atmosphere of fear’- those who were prepared to question must have known their actions were futile gestures which would end in personal sacrifice
- SS appealed as instrument to protect
- Gestapo used cooperation of many ordinary citizens
What happened when SPD activists campaigned for election campaign in March 1933
SA violence
Where did SPD send propaganda pamphlets
Czechoslovakia
What was a Sopade
reports produced by agents of the SPD to inform exiled Party leadership about situation in Germany
What % of KPD membership was killed in 1933
10%
How did the KPD rebel
set up new newspapers- all broken up by Gestapo
How many strikes were recorded in 1937
250
how many of the 25,000 workers who participated in strikes in 1935 spent time in prison
4000
by the end of 1937, how many protestant pastors had been arrested
700
When/what was the only time to Catholic Church placed itself at conflict with the regime
1937- Pope issued papal encyclical ‘With Burining Grief’ condemned Nazi hatred against Church
What were activities members of the Hitler Youth and League of German Maidens had to partake in
- compulsory gymnastic sessions on Wednesday evenings
- all day hikes on Sundays
- endless military drilling
what was ‘Gleichschaltung’ based on
premise individuals should have no independent activity
Which youth group in particular was more explicitly critical of Nazis
‘Eidelweiss Piraten’
What was a crucial centre of opposition to the regime
‘Abwehr’ (military intelligence office)
When did Hitler reintroduce conscription
March 1935
How much did conscription increase army numbers
550,000
Which two military generals expressed doubts to Hitler and what happened to them
Blomberg/ Fritsch- purged from army leadership
What caused who to plan a military coup
Hitler preparing to invade Czechoslovakia (Br and Fr would oppose) caused Head of Army General Staff Beck
When/ what/ who planned to assassinate Hitler
8 Nov 1939- Georg Elser bombed a speech- Hitler left 3 mins early
How many SS members were there by1939
240,000
In Jan 1933, how many privately owned newspapers were there
4700
What was the Nazi publishing house called
Eher Verlag
How many daily newspapers did Eher Verlag own and what was the circulation of these per day
27 newspapers, 2.4 million per day
By 1939, how much of German press did Eher Verlag own
2/3
Who controlled information supplied to the news agencies
Deutches Narchrichtenburo
What did the Editors’ Law of October 1933 do
made newspaper content responsibility of editor who had to satisfy requirements of Propaganda ministry
How many broadcasts did Hitler make in 1933 on his speeches
50
How did the % of households owned a radio in 1932 compared to 1939
1932- 25%
1939- 70%
What was ‘People’s receiver’ and what was it linked to
Volksempfanger- linked to mass production and selling of cheap radio sets
When were all radio stations brought under central control of who
April 1934- Reich Radio Company
Who was responsible for approving every film after 1933
Goebbels
How many films were produced between 1933-1945 and what % of these were political
1000- 14%
Who created the Heil Hitler salute
Goebbels
What happened at marches
uniforms/medals worn, carried banners, sung party songs
How were households expected to show support for national parades
hanging out swastika flags
How many people attended the 1937 national rally
100,000
What was ‘Olympia’
a 4 hour film financed by the Nazis
How many of Germany’s music writers left Germany between 1933-1945
2500
When did a group of Nazi students and SA members burn books and how many books did they burn
6th May 1933- 20,000
What were the two contrasting art exhibitions in July 1937
‘Degenerate Art’ and ‘Great German Art’
What books were typically burnt
books about family planning, jews or marxists
What was the Hitler Myth
Hitler presented as ‘man of the people’ symbolising unity of Nazi party and people
How was Hitler presented and how was Hitler in reality
Presented:
-tough/hardworking
-political genius who mastered Germany’s problems
-Dynamic/forceful
-Simplistic in lifestyle
-Guardian of true morality
Reality
-Surrounded by officials who competed to gain his attention
-Stayed up late, watching films, getting up at midday
What did Goebbels claim was his greatest achievement and when
1941- creation of Hitler Myth
What was the Waffen SS
military wing of the SS
Who led the SD
Reinhard Heydrich
What was the Aryan Paragraph
Those not of Aryan birth couldn’t enter the civil service or Protestant Evangelical Church
